ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) central secretariat and its women wing here on Wednesday jointly arranged a ceremony to celebrate the 77th birth anniversary of the party's founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
PPP activists flocked around the table to catch a glimpse of their senior party members cut the cake. While the cake was being cut, the activists praised their party leadership and chanted anti-military slogans.
In an enthusiastic speech, the party's secretary-general Raja Pervez Ashraf, said the supporters of Benazir Bhutto would continue their struggle for the restoration of a genuine democracy in the country. "Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is not among us today, but he lives in the hearts of the people of Pakistan," he said.
Rejecting allegations against the PPP leaders, Mr Ashraf demanded of the government to withdraw all fake cases against Benazir Bhutto and allow her to arrive back.
He also demanded immediate release of the acting president of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Javed Hashmi and Pir Mukarram-ul- Haq and criticized the establishment for keeping them in confinement on false and manufactured cases.
President PPP Women Wing, Islamabad, Nargis Faiz Malik, MPA Farzana Raja, PPP activist Ibne Rizvi, former ministers Ihsanul Haq Paracha and Raja Shahid Zafar and MPA Amir Paracha besides many others attended the ceremony.
Our staff reporter from Pindi adds: Pakistan People's Party is struggling for the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden and will never compromise in this regard, said leader of the opposition in district council Mian Imran Hayat on Wednesday.
Speaking at the 77th birth anniversary of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said it was Mr Bhutto who gave voice to the disadvantaged and oppressed segments of the country.
He said the party would always work for the betterment of common man. Mr Hayat said the party had been taught by its founder not to compromise on principles. He said it was because of this, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto preferred death to compromise with a dictator and today the workers of the party were carrying on the struggle.